Books For Our Boys & My Favorite Parish

(Written during the 2008 Presidential Campaign.)

Send a salami to your boy in the Army- famous WWII slogan, originated at Katz's Deli

Babbo's is a book store on 9th avenue in Windsor Terrace. They are doing something that I think is admirable. They are a volunteer shipper in the Books For Soldiers program. All you have to do is pick out a book in the store take it to the register, pay for it, and tell them you want it sent overseas to our best and brightest. Babbo's will make sure it gets there, and they pick up all shipping costs.

Some of our best and brightest have a lot of downtime overseas, and for a lot of soldiers, reading is a great way to pass the time.

Now Babbo's is not far from Farrell's, and I know many of you spend a lot of time there.
Think about how many books we would be able to send to our troops if you bought just one book each time you went to Farrell's. From two of my pals alone, Terry and Pete, we would be able to build a Library of Congress in Baghdad.

Now it is no surprise that a book store in Holy Name would be doing the right thing here. The people in Holy Name (Hey Libs: I know you may be offended by my referring to a neighborhood as a Catholic Parish, feel free to insert "Windsor Terrace" every time you see the words "Holy Name".) have always had a great reverence for America. Just walk down Windsor Place; you see American flags everywhere.

They also respect their local roots in Holy Name. A couple of years ago, the word went out that the Holy Name Grammar School needed painting. Hundreds of alumni from all over the country volunteered and painted the whole school on a Saturday.

Remember when it was common place to refer to parishes when we talked about neighborhoods? "I am from St Saviour's"- is what I would say when I was asked where I was from. That identification is dying in our lifetime. I cannot pinpoint exactly when parish identification became a unicorn, but I am comfortable saying that it happened around the time when rainbow flags began outnumbering the American flag in Park Slope.

I never have seen a rainbow flag on Windsor Place, though.

You see, Holy Name is populated by working class Americans that stand up for the pledge of allegiance, admire the military, and spend time at the local VFW.

It really is a microcosm of small town America.

Ultra-left activities, like flag burning, is not a smart move in Holy Name.

If you don't believe me, try exercising your constitutional right to free speech by burning an American Flag in front of Farrells. Trust me, you will end up in Methodist quicker than it took Tyson to knock out Michael Spinks.

Now try the same thing by burning an American Flag at The Gate in Park Slope. You will get high fives, strangers will buy you shots, and you will be universally admired.

Which side do you relate to? Isn't this election, the election of our lives, really about Farrells vs. The Gate?

If McCain wins, it is because all of what I call the "Holy Name Americans" throughout this land stepped up and did the right thing. If Obama wins, the Triple A Left (Abortion, Affirmative Action & Anal Rights) get to raise their Rainbow flag nationally, like a modern day Iwo Jima.

I'm gonna jam this in, I don't know if it fits.

For many years, Holy Name had an old statue of Jesus on the Cross outside the church. One day, a few years ago my man Kevin and I were stopped at a red light right outside of Holy Name. We both simultaneously noticed that the old Jesus had been replaced by a brand-spanking new statue of Jesus. Kevin turned to me and said "Jesus, he looks good!"

I laughed like a loon. But Jesus does look good, and so does Holy Name.